Curl Perfection Shampoo

The base most products are built on. It carries the other ingredients and has no safety concern.

A strong foaming cleanser. It can be drying or irritating for some people, especially in leave-on or high-concentration products. It is not a toxin, and it rinses away.

A coconut-derived amphoteric surfactant used to boost foam and mildness in cleansers and shampoos. CIR has reviewed it as safe as used, but it is one of the more established contact-allergy triggers in personal care, usually traced to manufacturing impurities such as amidoamine and dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) rather than the betaine itself. People with a history of eyelid or scalp dermatitis are more likely to react.

Ordinary salt, used in surfactant-based products like shampoos and body washes to adjust viscosity by interacting with the surfactant micelles. It has no meaningful toxicity concern at cosmetic use levels; the main practical downside is that too much can make a formula feel less mild.

A soothing humectant that helps skin and hair look conditioned. Very well tolerated.

An amino acid used in skincare formulas to hydrate and condition the skin. Amino acids are well-tolerated at cosmetic use levels and have a long history of safe use.

A wax-like ester of ethylene glycol and stearic acid used purely to thicken shampoo/conditioner and give it a pearly opaque look; it has no cleansing or active role. CIR found it non-sensitizing and non-irritating even at high test concentrations, and decades of manufacturer exposure data show no reported health effects.

Dimethiconol is a silicone emollient closely related to dimethicone, used to add slip and a smooth finish to creams and serums. It shares dimethicone's long-standing safety record and is considered non-sensitizing and non-comedogenic in typical use.

A silicone that gives a smooth, soft feel and helps hold water in the skin. Inert and well studied.

A positively charged conditioning polymer used in shampoos and conditioners to reduce frizz and improve manageability. It is well tolerated and has been safely used in cosmetics for decades.

A modified guar gum used to thicken and stabilize emulsions and gels. It is derived from guar beans and is well tolerated when applied topically. It is common in skincare formulas where a smooth texture is valued.

An undisclosed scent blend that can contain dozens of components. The single most common cause of cosmetic contact allergy, and the blend is not itemized, so you cannot see what is in it.

A salt derived from citric acid that buffers pH and prevents metal oxidation in formulas. Widely used in food and cosmetics, it is well tolerated at cosmetic concentrations.

The sodium salt of benzoic acid, used as a preservative in both foods and cosmetics. Decades of safety review support its use at typical cosmetic concentrations, with mild irritation the main reported issue in sensitive skin.

Tetrasodium EDTA is a chelating agent that binds trace metal ions to keep formulas stable and help preservatives work better. It has circulated online as a supposed "toxic" additive, but decades of safety review support its use at cosmetic concentrations.

Used in tiny amounts to set a product to skin-friendly pH. No concern at those levels.

Trihydroxystearin is a wax like triester made by hydrogenating castor oil, used as a fine powder that thickens formulas and gives pressed powders, lipsticks, and creams a smoother glide. CIR's safety review found no skin irritation in clinical testing and no mutagenicity in Ames testing, though the raw ingredient was a mild eye irritant in animal testing, and concluded it is safe as used up to 5%.

A common preservative and fragrance/solvent ingredient found naturally in many essential oils. It is well tolerated by most people at the levels used in cosmetics, but it is one of the 26 EU-designated fragrance allergens and can trigger reactions in people with an existing sensitivity.

Methylchloroisothiazolinone is typically used together with methylisothiazolinone in a 3:1 mix and is a well-documented skin sensitizer at higher rates than most preservatives. EU rules now restrict this combination to rinse-off products only, at a low maximum concentration.

A preservative that caused a wave of contact allergy in the 2010s. The EU banned it from leave-on products and tightly limits it in rinse-off ones. A genuine concern, not a myth.